Have had the Cuban, curry, jambalaya. All great choices. Nice little place in McKinley Park Area. Excellent wait staff. Nice drinks as well. Indoor/outdoor seating.
Fox Greco
While you guys have great food. Your hours are HORRENDOUS. Terrible. You have probably missed out on maybe $300 in food this summer alone for being closed when we were in the mood for Celestine’s. You guys are only open like 30 minutes a day!! Change the hours. Who the hell stays closed for 3 days in a row.
Alex W.
Celestin's is one of the most consistently fantastic restaurants in the area. I've had most items on the menu and nine of them have disappointed. My favorites are the shrimp po'boy and chicken sandwich but you cannot go wrong with any of their gumbos. And their fries are amazing!
Alison N.
!!DISHONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES!! I dined here on April 9 and on April 12 discovered that the restaurant charged my card twice, for two different dollar amounts ($70.69 and $98.69). I promptly called the restaurant and spoke with a woman who took my information and told me that Phoebe, the restaurant manager, would give me a call back. NO CALL BACK. I called again, spoke to the same woman, who, again, told me that Phoebe would call me back and guess what...NO CALL BACK. Given the absence of a call, I reached out to my credit card company to dispute, and they said that the $98.69 charge is "valid" because Celestin's swiped the physical card. Again, DISHONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES!!! I get that people make mistakes and that sometimes a card can be charged incorrectly. What I don't accept is no call from management to refund the unauthorized charge. In conclusion, if you value your money, DO NOT COME HERE.
Nicole S.
Delicious food and the restaurant specials are always a great option. We always get a Celestins Gumbo to go which is still good the next day. They also have the best Key lime pie!
Daniel T.
This is one of the last really great small, locally family owned restaurants in Sacramento! The food is exceptionally tasty and the service outstanding! If you want something different go and enjoy a great evening, like we did !
Coral Griefs
This place is wonderful. Nuanced dishes. Savory and flavory. Perfect comfort food or for meeting up with an old friend. Why do I not go here more often?!Also, key lime pie is easily 10/10.
Aaron Kim
As a fan of gumbo I was excited to try this place out. At $26 a serving I was a bit reluctant but decided to try some for takeout anyways. The gumbo came with scallops instead of chicken, which technically is an upgrade so I wasn't too upset about that, but the flavor was very bland. Upon further inspection it seems they didn't even use andouille sausage and instead used some smoked kielbasa type. Gumbo didn't even have okra.
Brandon Murphy
Phoebe and her husband are wonderful. The Cuban sandwich was the best I’ve had in Cali. I’m from Tampa and we’re very critical with cuban sandwich’s iykyk. The drinks were also great the margarita and the limeade very refreshing. Also loved the decor and atmosphere. Very good location great to go on a walk around the neighborhood after the meal
Ashley W.
The food was delicious. However, seeing how the owners treated the staff made me uncomfortable during my dinner. They were demeaning and condescending and it made my husband and I uncomfortable. They talked down to their staff and made us want to eat elsewhere. For the staff: go work somewhere else. Two stars for food alone.
We walked here because it was local, we keep coming back because it's amazing. The intimate setting, the apps, the gumbo such a fabulous local spot that does an exceptional job with creole flavors. Don't forget the key lime pie, give it a try!
Bea L.
Best gumbo I've ever had - I've tried the chicken/sausage and chicken/sausage/shrimp. It looks pricey but definitely worth it and it's much more filling than you think. I can never finish a serving.
Wonder M.
Husband and I visited this place on a Wednesday night and was able to get a seat right away as there are only one other couple dining that night. We ordered our food and drinks and then waited. About 15 mins after we had ordered out food, two other parties came in, they were seated, and ordered their food. Another 10 minutes had passed by, the waiter brought food out to one of the parties that had came in after us. We then got our food 5 mins later. We waited about 30 mins to get our food, while the parties that came in after us waited significantly less and got their food before us. As we're eating our food, another party came in, got seated, waited on, and were asked if they wanted any bread while waiting. A basket of bread was brought out to the group that just came in, and the other two groups that came in after us. No bread basket for us. No offer of any bread during the entire time we were there. The customer service was definitely lacking that night. I can be more understanding if they were busy that night, but this was not the case. I also was not impressed with the food. The tostones were dry, hard, and cold. Gumbo was decent, but definitely not worth the money.
Rachel K.
Our friend recommended Celestin's to us and after months of it being on our "gotta try it" list we finally made it in and it IMMEDIATELY became a regular spot. Celestin's makes amazing Gumbo and Jambalaya, the dishes and ingredients always taste absolutely amazing and the portions are big enough to share. My favorite dishes are the Celestin's Gumbo (it has chicken, sausage, shrimp, scallop and Pacific snapper), the Grio (marinated pork in orange & lime juice, garlic, habanero) and the Jambalaya. All of it is delicious and if you like spicy like we do, you can request some extra spice or add hot sauce on your own. We usually order take-out, but they do have outdoor and indoor seating, though you should make a reservation because they can get busy and it's pretty tiny inside. It's equally delicious as take out or dine in though and, like I mentioned before, the portions are generous so even if you dine in, you may have leftovers. Leftovers are great reheated though! If you're looking for something sweet the Key Lime Pie is delicious and their fresh squeezed limeade is the perfect amount of sweet and tart and is great in cocktails if you have it to-go.
Stan Rucker
I like the vibe here. It is a very small and quaint restaurant. Tonight was particularly busy so it took a minute to get our order.The grio platter for the starter was pretty delicious!We ordered these Celestin's gumbo and the the Chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo. The broth is decent overall. My favorite parts are the sausage and the big scallops.
Have had the Cuban, curry, jambalaya. All great choices. Nice little place in McKinley Park Area. Excellent wait staff. Nice drinks as well. Indoor/outdoor seating.
While you guys have great food. Your hours are HORRENDOUS. Terrible. You have probably missed out on maybe $300 in food this summer alone for being closed when we were in the mood for Celestine’s. You guys are only open like 30 minutes a day!! Change the hours. Who the hell stays closed for 3 days in a row.
Celestin's is one of the most consistently fantastic restaurants in the area. I've had most items on the menu and nine of them have disappointed. My favorites are the shrimp po'boy and chicken sandwich but you cannot go wrong with any of their gumbos. And their fries are amazing!
!!DISHONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES!! I dined here on April 9 and on April 12 discovered that the restaurant charged my card twice, for two different dollar amounts ($70.69 and $98.69). I promptly called the restaurant and spoke with a woman who took my information and told me that Phoebe, the restaurant manager, would give me a call back. NO CALL BACK. I called again, spoke to the same woman, who, again, told me that Phoebe would call me back and guess what...NO CALL BACK. Given the absence of a call, I reached out to my credit card company to dispute, and they said that the $98.69 charge is "valid" because Celestin's swiped the physical card. Again, DISHONEST BUSINESS PRACTICES!!! I get that people make mistakes and that sometimes a card can be charged incorrectly. What I don't accept is no call from management to refund the unauthorized charge. In conclusion, if you value your money, DO NOT COME HERE.
Delicious food and the restaurant specials are always a great option. We always get a Celestins Gumbo to go which is still good the next day. They also have the best Key lime pie!
This is one of the last really great small, locally family owned restaurants in Sacramento! The food is exceptionally tasty and the service outstanding! If you want something different go and enjoy a great evening, like we did !
This place is wonderful. Nuanced dishes. Savory and flavory. Perfect comfort food or for meeting up with an old friend. Why do I not go here more often?!Also, key lime pie is easily 10/10.
As a fan of gumbo I was excited to try this place out. At $26 a serving I was a bit reluctant but decided to try some for takeout anyways. The gumbo came with scallops instead of chicken, which technically is an upgrade so I wasn't too upset about that, but the flavor was very bland. Upon further inspection it seems they didn't even use andouille sausage and instead used some smoked kielbasa type. Gumbo didn't even have okra.
Phoebe and her husband are wonderful. The Cuban sandwich was the best I’ve had in Cali. I’m from Tampa and we’re very critical with cuban sandwich’s iykyk. The drinks were also great the margarita and the limeade very refreshing. Also loved the decor and atmosphere. Very good location great to go on a walk around the neighborhood after the meal
The food was delicious. However, seeing how the owners treated the staff made me uncomfortable during my dinner. They were demeaning and condescending and it made my husband and I uncomfortable. They talked down to their staff and made us want to eat elsewhere. For the staff: go work somewhere else. Two stars for food alone.
Restaurantji Recommends
We walked here because it was local, we keep coming back because it's amazing. The intimate setting, the apps, the gumbo such a fabulous local spot that does an exceptional job with creole flavors. Don't forget the key lime pie, give it a try!
Best gumbo I've ever had - I've tried the chicken/sausage and chicken/sausage/shrimp. It looks pricey but definitely worth it and it's much more filling than you think. I can never finish a serving.
Husband and I visited this place on a Wednesday night and was able to get a seat right away as there are only one other couple dining that night. We ordered our food and drinks and then waited. About 15 mins after we had ordered out food, two other parties came in, they were seated, and ordered their food. Another 10 minutes had passed by, the waiter brought food out to one of the parties that had came in after us. We then got our food 5 mins later. We waited about 30 mins to get our food, while the parties that came in after us waited significantly less and got their food before us. As we're eating our food, another party came in, got seated, waited on, and were asked if they wanted any bread while waiting. A basket of bread was brought out to the group that just came in, and the other two groups that came in after us. No bread basket for us. No offer of any bread during the entire time we were there. The customer service was definitely lacking that night. I can be more understanding if they were busy that night, but this was not the case. I also was not impressed with the food. The tostones were dry, hard, and cold. Gumbo was decent, but definitely not worth the money.
Our friend recommended Celestin's to us and after months of it being on our "gotta try it" list we finally made it in and it IMMEDIATELY became a regular spot. Celestin's makes amazing Gumbo and Jambalaya, the dishes and ingredients always taste absolutely amazing and the portions are big enough to share. My favorite dishes are the Celestin's Gumbo (it has chicken, sausage, shrimp, scallop and Pacific snapper), the Grio (marinated pork in orange & lime juice, garlic, habanero) and the Jambalaya. All of it is delicious and if you like spicy like we do, you can request some extra spice or add hot sauce on your own. We usually order take-out, but they do have outdoor and indoor seating, though you should make a reservation because they can get busy and it's pretty tiny inside. It's equally delicious as take out or dine in though and, like I mentioned before, the portions are generous so even if you dine in, you may have leftovers. Leftovers are great reheated though! If you're looking for something sweet the Key Lime Pie is delicious and their fresh squeezed limeade is the perfect amount of sweet and tart and is great in cocktails if you have it to-go.
I like the vibe here. It is a very small and quaint restaurant. Tonight was particularly busy so it took a minute to get our order.The grio platter for the starter was pretty delicious!We ordered these Celestin's gumbo and the the Chicken, sausage and shrimp gumbo. The broth is decent overall. My favorite parts are the sausage and the big scallops.